Afterlife
by AngelNinja
Summary: On Miyu's thirty-eighth birthday, Kanata reminisced about their times together as husband and wife. How will he gain new strength to carry on with his life?


Reunion

(Summary: She loved me with all of her heart and mind and has always remained completely faithful. Her only mistake to me was that she was not selfish enough to fight for her own life.)

A brunette man was crouching in a sepulcher at a cemetery near his house. It was a simple elevated tomb painted in light pink. But for him, all the memories he had with its occupant will live in his heart and mind forever. He viewed the picture of his deceased wife that was placed in the tombstone bearing her name.

Miyu K. Saionji- B. March 15, 1986; D. May 28, 2023.

"I'm sorry if I was not able to visit you yesterday, Miyu. Even though I vowed to always see you here at least once a week, I would have preferred to visit you everyday, my sweet wife." the brunette gently spoke to his deceased partner.

He the remembered the time he learned about her bodily affliction.

Eighteen years earlier…

"I'm sorry, Ms. Kouzuki. Your suffer from a rare form of congenital heart defect and based on its seriousness, it's most likely you will not live past forty." the doctor told her client.

"No, that can't be true, right? I mean I have managed to live normally for twenty years and nothing so bad happened to my body ever since then?" the blonde lady answered to her.

"Ms. Kouzuki, I'm sorry to tell you that just because you have lived a normal healthy life for the past two decades doesn't mean that your illness does not exist or no longer exist. Even with the best medical treatments available, not all people afflicted with your disease will live to their maximum lifespan. But sometimes miracles do happen that people with your condition where they live past their seventies and into their eighties." the physician responded kindly to her.

After seeing the doctor, the blonde lady returned home in a very depressed state.

"Kanata, I don't want you to suffer by seeing me being consumed by my illness. I have to set you free from now on." she though as she considered what will happen to her and her boyfriend if he found out that her years are now numbered.

She and her boyfriend are now in the final semester of college. But for her, being aware of her ailment made the prospect of graduation in a three months' time doesn't make sense. Especially if her boyfriend will suffer if he continued their relationship.

"Have my dear klutz already arranged for the day of your thesis defense?" her brunette boyfriend asked her in a teasing mood.

"Kanata, I don't have to plan for that. And may you please leave me alone for now?" the blonde demanded to him.

Kanata then wondered about her sudden change in behavior. Yesterday she was very upbeat and excited to see him (even though they reside in the same compound). Now, it's as if nothing is worth her interests. For the next several days, Miyu seemed to avoid having contact with Kanata, even in their own residence area.

About one week after Miyu learned of her condition, her parents arrived arrived from the United States. They too already know of her ailment; that's precisely why they returned in Japan.

"Auntie, Uncle, welcome home. I'm glad you came here." Kanata greeted to them as when they reached the Saionji compound grounds.

"Thank you Kanata. Glad to see you too. By the way, how is Miyu doing now?" Yuu asked his daughter's boyfriend in order to check on her.

"Well, for the past week, she seems to be avoiding me and she always seems to be not in the mood. I don't know why Miyu suddenly became like that." Kanata responded.

"I see. Come with us but don't reveal you presence inside our house so that you'll discover why she has been like that." Miki urged to Kanata.

Yuu and Miki then came inside their house, instructing Kanata that they will leave the door open in order for the brunette lad to enter their premises as well.

"Miyu, are you there sweetie?" Miki called out to her daughter.

"Mom, Dad, welcome home. I missed you so much!" Miyu greeted to her parents as she embraced them.

"So how are you doing now? Kanat said that you trying to avoid him for the past week. Is that true? Yuu asked his daughter.

"That's true. I have already told you about my ailment, right? the blonde lady riposted to them.

Meanwhile, Kanata silently entered the Kouzuki's house and went near Miyu's room in order to eavesdrop on what his girlfriend and her parents are talking about.

"No, I haven't told him about it." Miyu responded.

"Why, Miyu? Don't you think your boyfriend needs to know about you condition?" Miki asked her.

"Her condition? Just what exactly happened to Miyu?" Kanata thought as soon as he heard her speak.

"Mom, Dad, if Kanata ever found out about my illness, he would only suffer because he will sacrifice his ambitions and I don't want that to happen. That's why I plan on telling him that I'm setting him free." Miyu told them.

"Miyu, don't you think Kanata will get hurt by your intentions? He loves you will all of his being and has remained completely faithful to you, and now you'll just let him go like that?" Yuu told his daughter.

"But if he became aware of this, he's going to sacrifice his ambitions as I've said a while ago. I also love him with all of my heart and mind that I want him not to be burdened by my ailment." Miyu insisted.

At that moment Kanata decided to step in.

"As if I'll let you set me free like that Miyu! I don't know what your illness is but if you truly reciprocate my love for you like you claimed a few seconds ago, then you must never let me go!" the brunette lad mentioned to his partner in a hurt voice.

"Kanata? You're listening to us?" Miyu said in surprise.

"I'm sorry Miyu, but I have to eavesdrop because on your own you would never tell me that you're sick." Kanata responded.

"I'm sorry too. Sorry for hiding the fact that my doctor diagnosed me with a rare form of congenital heart defect. She said that my condition could no longer be cured because I'm already an adult but my life could be extended for quite a couple of years. Still, my life would unlikely last beyond forty years." Miyu answered as she started to break down and cry.

"Miyu, let's prove her wrong! I'll always be here by your side to fight with your for your life." Kanata encouraged to his girlfriend as he embraced her tightly and allowed her to rest her head on his right shoulder.

"But Kanata, what about your ambitions? You said that mass media corporation in Germany is going to hire you after graduation? I don't want you to miss that opportunity." the blonde asked her partner.

"My ambitions would mean nothing if I don't have you, Miyu. Because my true dream is to be married to you and remain by your side forever. My career is far less important than that."

"Just as I thought, I'm a hindrance to you." Miyu retorted as she started to cry again.

"You're never a hindrance to me, Miyu. And I would suffer even more if you let me go because I would no longer be able to take care of the only woman I ever love-you! So please, let's continue our relationship and get married after graduation, ok?" Kanata urged to Miyu.

"Good thing you're already proposing to my daughter, Kanata. We have known that you two will eventually end up together, so you already have our full blessing to marry Miyu." Yuu told him.

"Kanata…" Miyu murmured.

"Miyu, will you marry me and be my wife forever?" Kanata asked even though his partner already knew what he meant.

"If that's the only way I could prove that I also truly love you, then yes, I'll marry you." Miyu responded.

Back to the present…

"You know Miyu, I was overjoyed when we got married together because from now on I will be able to care for you more closely. I, Kanata Saionji, have always been jittery about your health ever since I found out that you suffer from that congenital heart defect. That's why I was rather reluctant to get you pregnant back then. I don't know if you'll be able to survive the hardships of pregnancy in the state of your health at the time and I surely can never the pain if I had lost either you or my child if you did not survive back then. But you did survive and prove that you're much stronger than you yourself believe." the brunette widower muttered as he remembered when Miyu asked him to have her bear his child.

Flashback…

"Kanata, are you joyful now that I'm your wife? I surely am joyful for having you as my husband." Miyu candidly told her partner. They have been married for one and a half month now.

"No doubt about it. Now I'll be able to more closely monitor your health, my clumsy goddess." Kanata teasingly said to his wife, earning himself a pinch on the cheek from her.

"How about your prospective German employer? What did the company do after you turned down their offer?" the blonde asked him.

"They offered me an alternative. They said that there is a vacancy in their branch office which is just a fifteen minute drive away from our home. And the alternative position they're offering me is just as good in my opinion since it is a permanent position and with a high pay." Kanata answered.

"Hey, Kanata, how long before we'll have our own child?" Miyu asked her husband.

"Huh?" Kanata murmured.

"Why Kanata? Don't you want us to have our own child?" the blonde lady asked him.

"I also want to have a child with you, Miyu. I'm just worried that if I got you pregnant, your health may suddenly take a turn for the worse and either your life or my child's life, or both of your will be jeopardized. I don't want that to happen Miyu." Kanata worriedly confessed to her.

"But Kanata, I want to have a flesh and blood manifestation of our love for each other. So that in case I die, you will have still have a living physical memory of me." Miyu said in a pleading voice. She loves Kanata so much that she has reserved her own virginity just for him alone.

"Miyu, you know that I could not bear losing either one of you, right? That's why I'm rather reluctant to do it." Kanata retorted to his wife.

"Kanata, if you truly love me like you have claimed when you found out about my illness, then you'll take away my virginity and get me pregnant with your child." Miyu wished to him as she returned what Kanata demanded to her a few months earlier.

Feeling challenged, Kanata was emboldened by Miyu's wish.

"If you truly want me to take away your innocence and impregnate you with my child, I'll be more than willing to do that. Just promise me both of you will survive the ordeal." the brunette man riposted.

That night, Kanata and Miyu lost their respective virginity to each other. After two months, they found out their act succeeded in its objective.

"Congratulations, Mr. Saionji. Your wife in now two months pregnant." the doctor told her clients.

"Kanata, we did it! We successfully made ourselves a baby!" Miyu said to her husband in an overjoyed manner.

"I love you so much Miyu that I fulfilled your request to me to have you pregnant with my child. Now, I want you to remain strong and healthy for the rest of your pregnancy and in childbirth." Kanata answered to her as he poked her left cheek. Yet Kanata is also fully aware of the fact that Miyu's pregnancy is a sensitive case due to her heart ailment. That's why Kanata is taking every precaution he could to ensure her and their child's survival.

Several months passed. Miyu was able to go normally through her pregnancy with only very minor issues. She and Kanata learned that they will have a daughter and that Kanata decided to name her Miu as he wanted his child's name to be close to her mother's name. Then came the time she gave birth to Miu. Even though she successfully delivered her normally, her heart weakened considerably.

"Doctor, how is Miyu doing?" Kanata worriedly asked their physician.

"Your wife's ailment manifested right after she delivered your daughter. Fortunately, we have stabilized her condition but she will need to rest for at least two weeks before she could return to normal." the doctor responded to her patient's husband.

Back to the present…

"Just as I thought, we would find you here, Kanata." A woman about sixty three years old told the brunette.

"Mom, Dad, I'm glad you came here." Kanata responded to his in-laws.

"It's Miyu's birthday today, so we should have a celebration." Yuu told his son-in-law.

"I guess. I just wish that Miyu will also be here to celebrate her own birthday." Kanata responded with sorrow tainting his voice.

Miki and Yuu then patted Kanata's back as he remembered the times he spent with their deceased daughter.

"Kanata, we know how much you miss our daughter. We also miss her a lot. But I'm sure my best friend Hitomi is with Miyu since she is her daughter-in-law." Miki tried to cheer to Kanata as she referred to her son-in-law's mother.

"Well, I still love your daughter with all of my heart and mind even though she already passed away.

As Kanata and his in-laws are chatting about Miyu, two other figures approached their location.

"Papa!" a blonde teenage boy and a strawberry-blonde teenage girl called out to Kanata.

"Miu, Ruu!" Kanata called out their names as they hugged him.

Seeing the alien boy he and Miyu took care of and loved when he was still a baby being the boyfriend of his daughter being a young couple certainly made Kanata flutter in subtle joy. Yet he still wished that Miyu was there to enjoy the scene with him. Twenty four years or so had passed since Kanata and Miyu first met Ruu. Almost sixteen and a half years had passed since they had Miu. Kanata reminisced all his time with Miyu. For most part of their relationship as husband and wife, Kanata and Miyu usually have comedic fights-courtesy of Kanata relentlessly teasing Miyu. Kanata was able to have a successful career as a German language instructor and translator at a nearby mass media corporation office, so he was able to closely take care of Miyu. Occasionally, Miyu's health would suffer some minor setbacks. during that time. But ten months ago, the day Kanata dreaded the most came.

"So Kanata, how's your day in the office?" Miyu asked her husband.

"It's quite good, although some of my students did not pick up the lesson as fast as the rest of the class did." he retorted to her.

"You should get some rest now Kanata. Looks like they might give you another headache tomorrow." the blonde woman teased to him.

"Stupid Miyu." Kanata teased in turn as he lay down on their bed with himself at Miyu's left side.

Miyu then gently smiled at her husband. Even though they are now married for several years already, they still act as if they are still in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

Kanata and Miyu slept together in their room at that night like they always do. Little did Kanata know that it will be the final time they'll sleep together in their bed.

Miyu suddenly experienced difficulty in breathing and chest pains at around midnight. Her labored breathing immediately woke-up Kanata.

"Miyu, you don't look good." Kanata worriedly said to his wife.

"Kanata, please return to sleep now. I'll be fine." Miyu told her husband.

Suddenly, Miyu collapsed from her sitting position. Kanata promptly caught her in his arms and carried her towards their garage as he awoken his father and his daughter.

"Old man, where are the keys?" Kanata asked his father impatiently as he hurried to get his wife into the nearest hospital.

Hosho immediately handed the car's keys to his son, knowing how serious his daughter-in-law's condition was. As soon as Kanata had placed Miyu inside the back seat of their car, his daughter Miu came at her mother's side and tried to assist her.

"Miu, take care of your mother's position while I drive." Kanata ordered to his daughter.

"Kanata…"Miyu weakly called out to her husband.

"Mama, please fight for your life. We don't want to lose you." the pink-dyed haired girl told her mother.

"Miu, tell your father not to rush so much…" the blonde woman told her daughter.

"Mama, save your strength for yourself." Miu tired to comfort her mother.

Meanwhile, Hosho contacted Miyu's parents from NASA and told them that their daughter's condition took a turn for the worse, prompting the Kouzuki couple to take the soonest flight back to Tokyo.

A the hospital, Kanata and his daughter Miu were surrounded by their friends. All of them were shocked by the sudden turn of events, especially Ruu, who came again from planet Otto to visit and stay with his foster parents for the meantime.

"Papa, how is Mama doing?" the alien boy asked his foster father.

"I don't know, but I'm praying to God she'll be able to get through this." Kanata responded with a despotic look on his face.

For hours they patiently waited for any updates on Miyu's condition. Yuu and Miki came almost a day after Miyu was admitted to the hospital.

"How is Miyu now?" Yuu asked his son-in-law.

"The doctors told me her heart is beating weakly and her blood pressure continues to be lower than normal." Kanata answered honestly to his in-laws as tears start to form in his eyes.

Just as things are already very bad, they worsened even further.

"Is Mrs. Miyu Saionji's immediate family here?" the doctors asked to Kanata, Yuu, Miki, Miu, Ruu, and Hosho.

"Yes, everyone is here." Kanata responded, his mind telling him that there is something terrible in store for them but still hoping thing will turn for the better.

"We're sorry, Mr. Saionji... we have done everything we could for your wife, but her heart's ailment has gotten so severe that she will not survive a surgical operation. At most she only has 48 hours to live.

Miyu's immediate family then all rushed to the emergency room to see Miyu after the doctors told then there is nothing more they could do. As soon as they saw her, Kanata went to her side and tried to urge his wife to continue fighting for her life. Everyone else in their family broke down in tears.

"Miyu, please don't die. I still have grand plans for our future together" Kanata whispered to her left ear as he held her hand.

"Kanata, please don't cry. Even if I die, I will always remain by your side. Haven't I promised that to you when I accepted your marriage proposal?" Miyu said softly to her husband.

"But I won't be able to have you here by my side if you pass away." Kanata sorrowfully told her.

"My poor beloved husband, even if I'm no longer physically here, I will never leave you alone. God knows that fully well." Miyu responded before slipping into unconsciousness.

"No, Miyu…" the brunette man cried out as doctors tried to revive her.

The final forty eight hours was the most harrowing experience for Kanata. Miyu would slip in-and-out of consciousness within that period. With each awakening, her family was hoping that a miracle would happen and she'll live for longer. But each awakening drains her of her remaining strength. Everyone then reminisced the times they spent with Miyu. Kanata remembered all the experiences he had with Miyu. The two of them have always been completely faithful to each other as husband and wife, and even though some of their fights sometimes get worse and turn into senseless quarrels, they never allowed their relationship to suffer from it. Miu remembered how much her mother and father loved each other and loved her, fully aware that Kanata have always taken vary good care of Miyu for as far as she could remember. Ruu reminisced about the time he was in Kanata and Miyu's custody for one year before they finally met his real parents and returned him to them. Miki and Yuu also remembered the joy of having Miyu as their child ever since she was born, to the time she grew and got married to Kanata, to the time she gave birth to their granddaughter Miu, and everything thereafter. Hosho looked back at the memories of how Miyu made his son joyful by marrying him and building a family together with Kanata. Then, Miyu's final minutes came. Her family has accepted (albeit sorrowfully) that that is the maximum time God has given to her. And Kanata was holding her hand up to that time.

"Kanata, I'm so joyful that I'm able to be with you forever, even if that forever is only sixteen human years or so. I feel so blessed that I became your wife and the mother of your child. Kanata, please remember that I will always love you with all of your heart and mind. And please take care of Miu. She is the flesh and blood manifestation of our love for each other." Miyu requested to her husband. She then pasionately kissed his lips with all of her love and embraced him tightly.

"Goodbye Kanata, but we will surely meet again." Miyu gently said to her husband as she slowly closed her eyes and released her hand's grip on Kanata's hand.

"Miyu….Miyu, don't leave us yet! MIYU!" Kanata cried out at the moment his wife passed away right in his embrace.

Kanata and Miyu's immediate family and friends all broke down and cried as tears fell non-stop from their eyes.

At the funeral, everyone tried to console Kanata and Miu. The two of them have lost an equally important member of their small family. Nevertheless, they still take comfort that Miyu has been relinquished of her bodily illness.

"Sorry for your loss, Kanata. I apologize that I did not make in time to see Miyu alive for one last instance." Kanata's childhood best friend Akira Kijyou condoled to him.

"It's alright. I just wish that Miyu is now happy and well in the afterlife." Kanata answered in a weak, sorrowful tone. "If only I had known that she would die this son, I wish I could have spent more time with my wife than I did." the brunette man answered.

"Kanata, please don't blame yourself for what happened. Miyu is actually fully content and joyful with all of the times she had spent together with you because as she herself had said, she has been able to be your wife and have you by her side forever, even if that forever is only two and a half decades." Yuu told his grieving son-in-law in order to comfort him.

"Plus the mere fact that you have fulfilled all of her wishes to you made her feel complete. That's is what she told me last year. So you should grant her final will in order to honor her memory." Miki interjected to them.

"Mama is such a strong woman. Even if she knew she could die in her pregnancy of giving birth to me, she opted to do that because she loves us so much." Miu tried to comfort to her father.

"She surely is. And I'm glad you've inherited that trait from her Miu." Kanata gently told his and Miyu's only child.

"And Mama is selfless. She loved and cared for me and Miu with all of her heart, mind, and might." Ruu chimed in.

"And I owe the fact that she became my wife to you, Ruu. If you had not come into our life, I don't know what I would have been now." Kanata told the alien boy as he gently ruffled his hair.

Back to the present…

"So when are we going back home?" Miki asked her son-in-law.

"You guys may go there now. I'll like to spend more time with Miyu here." Kanata said to them.

Miyu's parents then headed towards their car and started its engine as they prepared to leave. Miu and Ruu slowly walked away from Miyu's sepulcher.

"Happy thirty eighth birthday, Miyu. I hope you're enjoying your special day there in the afterlife, my sweet klutz." Kanata greeted to his wife.

At that moment, just as Kanata was thinking about going home as well, an apparition suddenly manifested in the area.

"Thank you for always visiting and remembering Kanata. I'm sorry that I am no longer physically with you." a voice called out to the brunette widower.

"Miyu, is that truly you?" Kanata asked at the figure.

"Yes, it's me, honey. Thank you so much for all the love you're giving me." Miyu riposted to her husband as her spirit embraced Kanata.

From a distance, Miu glanced back at where her father was standing and saw her mother's spirit embracing her father.

"Miyu, I missed you so much ever since you passed away. I still get lonely and sad whenever I think about your death." Kanata said to his wife as tears start to form in his eyes.

"Now, now, please don't cry Kanata. I came here precisely to comfort you as my husband." Miyu told him.

"I have done what you wished me to do for you, but I will still remain single for the rest of my life. You're indeed the only woman who deserves me, Miyu." the brunette man answered.

"Thank you for respecting my wishes and remaining completely faithful to me. Rest assured that I'll always wait for you here in the afterlife and I'll be the first one to meet you when the time of your departure finally comes." Miyu ensured to Kanata.

"Thank you for continuing to love me, Miyu. I promise that I'll always look forward to the day we'll finally be able to meet and be together forever again." her husband ensured in return.

"But don't come to here yet. I still want you to see Miu grow up, get married, and give us some grandchildren. And I have a hunch she and Ruu will end up together." the blonde woman said.

"Mama, is that you?" Miu called out to her mother as she returned to her sepulcher.

"Yes, it's me, my sweet baby." Miyu called out to her daughter. "Have you been a good daughter to Kanata?" she added.

"She certainly is. As her father, I could assure that!" Kanata answered to his wife.

"When could we meet you again, Mama?" Miu asked her.

"If you want me to visit you in your dreams at night, then I'll do it." Miyu answered to them.

"Then, please visit us every night in our dreams, Miyu." Kanata asked his wife.

"I will, honey." Miyu said as she kissed her husband's lips.

"See you later tonight Miyu!" Kanata said to his wife as he and his daughter headed to their car and prepared to leave.

"Sleep early so that I could enter your dreams in the soonest time possible." Miyu retorted.

Kanata now have found renewed strength upon seeing his wife's spirit. He knew that Miyu wanted him to enjoy his remaining life just like he had done to her when she was still alive. And Kanata is comforted to know that Miyu will always be there to meet and be with him again forever even in the afterlife.

(Readers are welcome to give reviews for this work. Your reviews will be appreciated very much. Thank You).


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